Modern cooling is almost entirely based on a compression/expansion refrigeration cycle. It is, indeed, a high-energy demand industry with annual energy consumption measured in billions of kwh while reaching as much as 15% of the total electrical energy produced. Chemicals used as refrigerants, eventually escape into the environment promoting ozone layer depletion and global warming and, therefore, conventional refrigeration ultimately promotes deleterious trends in the global climate.
Recent worldwide efforts pioneered by scientists at Iowa State University and engineers at Astronautics Corporation of America validated the feasibility of near room temperature magnetic refrigeration- a new revolutionary solid-state refrigeration technology. When successfully commercialized, magnetic refrigeration and air conditioning will provide all the benefits of the cooling technologies without a heavy price tag. First, magnetic cooling and refrigeration is 20 to 30% more energy efficient than conventional vapor compression refrigeration. Second, the magnetic refrigerants are solids, and thus, hazardous, ozone depleting and greenhouse chemicals are completely eliminated. Therefore, magnetic refrigeration is one of the few, positively clean technologies.
Who should attend?
Mark your calendars to join us! The conference will feature poster sessions, tours of Iowa State University's campus and spousal activities in addition to the plenary sessions.
